The problem with pelicans

Naples resident John Didonato chases away a brown pelican who tried to steal his catch during an afternoon fishing trip at Naples Pier. “It happens every day,” says Didonato. “They steal your fish, and you can’t help but hook them. When you do, you just have to pull them up and take the hooks out. Usually we take a few other hooks out, too.”

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Conservancy intern Sarah Funck ducks her head down as a brown pelican goes flying in one of the Conservancy’s outdoor holding pens. Injured birds build strength there before undergoing surgery to repair tears in their pouches, usually caused by errant fishing lures.

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The feet of a brown pelican tell the story of a fight with a fishing lure. Often the birds will get lures caught in their pouches, and then try to remove them with their feet.

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Luis Lopez, left, removes a fishing lure while Frank Rudolf holds down the pelican he accidentally hooked while fishing from Naples Pier.

Wildlife rehabilitation specialist Jonee Miller, right, adjusts the light above the surgery table at the Conservancy’s wildlife hospital. She will repair a tear in the bird’s pouch.

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Wildlife rehabilitation specialist Jonee Miller stitches up a hole in a brown pelican’s pouch. “Probably at least 80 percent of the pelicans that come in are from (fishing) hook-related injuries,” says Miller. “Lately everyone’s making a big deal about red tide, but that’s not what’s hurting the pelicans. It’s the fish hooks and fishing line.”

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After three surgeries to repair a tear in this brown pelican’s pouch, the wound still would not heal properly. Conservancy officials brought in a local veterinarian to try to fix the problem, but they also realize it just may take time for the wound to heal on its own.

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A brown pelican that had died moments after arriving at the Conservancy lays covered by a towel on the check-in table. The bird was rescued by Conservancy workers after hearing that it was entangled with fishing line in mangrove trees near Marco Island.

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“Well it’s not a pelican, but thanks for calling,” says Conservancy intern Julia Montellese after gathering up an injured cormorant at Residents Beach on Marco Island. Conservancy staff usually cannot pick up injured wildlife — they depend on volunteers and area residents to bring animals to the center.

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A brown pelican dives into the lines of fisherman as they cast from Naples Pier. The Conservancy has proactive steps to help fishermen and pelicans co-habitate by installing signs that explain what to do if a pelican gets hooked. There are also large nets that fisherman can use to bring the birds up onto the pier — if they get hooked.

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Wildlife rehabilitation specialist Jonee Miller and intern Rebecca Steinberg watch as a group of newly released brown pelicans take flight at a release site near Marco Island. “It’s always a good feeling to watch them take off,” says Miller.